Green Eggs and Ham

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
I can read it all by myself - Beginner Books

This is my own copy from my childhood. A 1968 edition bought for me by my mother when I was 5.
As you can see, it's slightly beaten up!

This is my favourite Dr. Seuss book. I loved the idea of green eggs and ham!

As usual this book is great for learners as it's full of repetitions of rhyming words, helping young readers to recognise and learn them.

Here's an extract from the book

And here's a great picture from it.


A wonderful book. One of my most treasured.

Five Go Off in A Carvan by Enid Blyton

Five Go Off in a Caravan by Enid Blyton

Amazon Product Description:
A caravan holiday for the Famous Five is bound to be an adventure! And when they stumble across a circus troupe, the gang are thrilled. But some of the circus people have more sinister plans than just clowning around....

First published in 1946, I read these Famous Five books when I was in primary school in the 60's early 70's. They were wonderful - full of adventures and good clean fun.

Now they do seem a little dated with their clean living, ginger bear and jam sandwiches, and class distinctions.

However, the stories are still endearing and if not as popular now, this book brought back lots of happy memories.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

The Adventures of Peter Rabbit: Four Favourite Rabbit Tales by Beatrix Potter (audio book)

The delightful tale of Peter Rabbit who sneaks into Mr. Mcgreggors field, eats his way through his crops and is nearly caught!
I loved this tale as a child ... and as an adult it is still endearing.
The CD also has the Tale of Benjamin Bunny, the tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, and The Tale of Mr. Tod.

The Owl Service by Alan Garner

The Owl Service

Synopsis: From back cover:
'Scratchings in the loft above Alison's room - not mice or rats - but claws being sharpened, then Roger had felt himself reeling under the scream and the vibration of the ancient rock. And Alison was obsessed with those plates - she did nothing but trace the owl pattern on them. Gwyn couldn't fathom it yet, but he was trapped too in the Welsh valley and the legend.
Only old, half mad Huw knew the power of the ancient tragedy - of a maiden made from flowers who betrayed her husband, Lleu, with a lover. And Huw told Gwyn that now the lady had come again "She wants to be flowers but you make her owls. You must not complain, then, if she goes hunting. Lleu, Blodewedd and Gronw Pebyr - they are the three who suffer every time, for in them the power of this valley is contained and through them the power is loosed." Alison Roger and Gwyn had become those three ...'

Based on the Welsh Mabinigion tale of Blodewedd, Alan Garner writes a wonderful tale for young adults.. Mystery, legend, jealousy, class, and race are all mixed in this enchanting novel.

Re-reading it now as an adult, it is even more interesting to see how the tensions of class, which were being eroded in the 1960's. are incorporated into the tale, as well as the assumptions about the Welsh and Welsh valley life.

A very clever novel, with lots of layers - yet still enjoyable enough to be read just as a magical tale.
One of my favourite's still

.I actually live less than 10 miles away from Tomen-y-mur where this Mabinogion legend is said to take place. The stone is said to still exist, at Llech Ronw in the Cynfal Valley. More about this legend here

The Secret of Grey Walls

The Secret Of Grey Walls by Malcolm Saville

Synopsis:'When David, Peter, Mary, Dickie and Tom of the Lone Pine Club go on holiday together, they know something exciting is bound to happen. They soon find themselves investigating a sheep-stealing plot and following a trail which leads to the strange house with grey walls.'

I loved reading Malcolm Savilles 'Lone Pine Club' series when I was young
.This is the fourth book in the series.Written in the early sixties and set in postwar era, these stories are based on friendships, loyalty and courage.

In this novel the gang end up in the sleepy town of Clun on the Welsh / English border in the winter holidays.As usual a mystery is discovered, adventures taken, and the mystery solved by the gang

Loved it ...want to try and buy the whole series now (although only a few are still in publication)

The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton

Title: The Secret Seven
Author: Enid Blyton
Pages: 94
Publisher: Hodder Children's Press

This is the first in Enid Blyton's Secret Seven series.
Here we meet the Secret Seven - Peter, Janet, Pam, Colin, Jack , Barbara and George. Not forgetting Scamper the dog!
In this first adventure they uncover a mystery at an old house which is looked after by a deaf caretaker.The gang have secret meetings, build snowmen, investigate a mystery, and get their reward.
An enjoyable children's book.
Originally published in 1949

I was an avid Enid Blyton reader as a child - reading all her books - fairy stories, Secret Seven, Famous Five etc.
Although she is quite dated in someways now and her characters naive compared to today's children, the stories are endearing and the adventures were exciting to me as a child.
I still remember making 'blackcurrant tea' from jam, as they do in this story!

# 2 for this challenge

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper

Title: The Dark Is Rising
Author: Susan Cooper
Pages: 267
Publisher: Puffin
Synopsis:
From Amazon: 'This night will be bad and tomorrow will be beyond imagining. It's Midwinter's Eve, the day before Will's eleventh birthday. But there is an atmosphere of fear in the familiar countryside around him. This will be a birthday like no other. Will discovers that he has the power of the Old Ones, and that he must embark on a quest to vanquish the terrifyingly evil magic of the Dark. '
This book has been one of my favourites since I was a child.
It is the second novel in Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series, and the one I enjoyed the most.
Will Stanton is the seventh son of a seventh son, and an Old One, one of those who protect the world against the forces of darkness.
Newly awakened on Midwinter's day, he must find the 6 signs and keep the dark Rider at bay.
Interweaving pagan mythology, traditional winter and Christmas customs into a great story, Susan Cooper keeps us spell bound.
A great novel.

Please note - last year a film was made with the same title. Although loosely based on the novel, it is nothing at all like it. The film was a huge disappointment.

Lynda's book choices

Hi
I'm aiming to read 10 books for this challenge:

Not Scarlet But Gold by Malcolm Saville (if I can find a copy)
Red Shift by Alan Garner
The Dark Is Rising ( by Susan Cooper
The Owl Service by Alan Garner
Green Eggs and Ham ( by Dr. Seuss (I loved this as a child and still have it on my shelves)
Mary Jones and Her Bible by Mary Carter
Little Women by Louisa M Alcott
The Tale of Peter Rabbit ( by Beatrix Potter
a Secret Seven book by Enid Blyton
a Famous Five book by Enid Blyton

I'll be starting with The Dark is Rising on the 21st December - as it takes place over winter solstice and Christmas.

I'm really looking forward to reliving some of my childhood reading memories!